Moving beyond Schein's typology: individual career anchors in the context of Nigeria

Drawing on institutional theory, this study sets out to explore the career anchors that exist among information technology (IT) workers in Nigeria and also to establish the strongest anchors in this context.

This research adopted a two‐pronged methodological approach, which involved the use of 30 semi‐structured interviews and a 336‐question survey.

Results suggest the continued significance of traditional orientations to careers in Nigeria as well as orientations associated with new career theory.

The extent to which the findings of this research can be generalised is constrained by the selected context of the research.

Human resources managers in Nigeria should be cautious of adopting career management models developed in the West. They should provide a reward system, which minimises financial uncertainty and risk.

This paper provides valuable insights on the career anchors of IT workers in a relatively neglected region in the literature. It also extends Schein's original career anchor theory.